Local Historian, Journalist Named Woman of the Year

Prudence “Prue” Draper, a historian, former newspaper publisher and community activist who spearheaded a campaign to incorporate the city of Cotati and founded a museum to preserve its history, has been named Woman of the Year by Senator Lois Wolk.

Draper, 82, was recognized during a ceremony at Wolk’s Napa District office on Sunday, an annual tradition to honor women who work to improve their communities.

“Prue has dedicated years to preserving this city’s rich history,” said Wolk in a prepared statement. “Prue is not only an expert on this community’s history. She’s a part of that history.”

From 1951 to 1965, Draper and her late husband Lloyd were publishers of The Cotatian, a weekly newspaper. 

Draper also worked for the Petaluma Argus Courier, then a daily newspaper—where her jobs included Social Living Editor, Church Editor, Garden Editor and Food Editor. (Jobs in the news department were off-limits to women in those days.)

In 1977 she and her husband joined the U.S. Peace Corps, serving for two years in Western Samoa.

After returning to Cotati, Draper worked as a reporter for the Rohnert Park-Cotati Times before managing an office for a campaign to build a Hewlett-Packard plant in Rohnert Park.

Both Prue and Lloyd were avid collectors of Cotati historical memorabilia and wrote several books on the subject. That led to the creation of the nonprofit Cotati Historical Society in 2007 and a museum to display the treasures they collected. 

Draper served as historical society president until 2012, and continues to serve as a local historian, museum volunteer, newsletter editor and on the committee planning the 50th anniversary of Cotati’s incorporation in July.

“This community has been really good to us. They accepted and supported us,” Draper said. “We have enjoyed living here for over 60 years.”

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